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Tuesday, May 17, 2016

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

This is a
lever novel unlike many I have seen before and I won't be
surprised if it gets on many "must read" lists. I say that because while it mentions many of the popular YA tropes of
the past few years, the overall theme is that real life is a much
scarier proposition for teens to navigate.

Mike
and his older sister Mel have their own problems for which they have
sought help. Their mom is determined to achieve her professional goals
and perhaps this has caused her to shirk some of her motherly duties.
Their dad is little help since he has his own demons to manage.

Mike's
best friend Jared, a giant teddy bear of a kid is a loyal and
supportive ally even though he has his own issues. Mike is also
experiencing the classic teen conundrum- how to tell someone you've
known alllll your life that you may have feelings for them. While all
this is going on, there are some weird happenings in the town and some
weird flashing blue lights are seen at night.

I
admire Ness' forthrightness. The characters in this novel are on the
cusp of adulthood but they are just as scared as little kids. They do
however have a variety of coping mechanisms some good some bad and they
will have to learn to distinguish between the two. Dealing with
feelings is perhaps the most difficult part of adolescence and even
smart kids have a tough time with that. Ness' characters do end up much
better for their experiences however. This was a great read but because
of some language and other sensitive material I think this book is best
served for kids 13+.